THE EARLY AMERICAN COLONIESUnit I

Standards Covered in This Unit• SSUSH1 The Student Will Describe European Settlement

in North America during the 17th Century.• SSUS2 The Student Will Trace The Ways That The

Economy And Society of British North America Developed

Pre-Colonial America• First Discoverers of North America were Asians• They came over on the Bering Strait Land Bridge that

Stretches from Russia to Alaska during the Ice Age• By 5000 BC, They had moved from Hunters to Hunters

and Gatherers (Adapted to Environment)• The Native Americans Belief that no humans owned the

land, made it easy for Europeans to take it over• Women did have a bigger role in Gov’t compared to

European women. They stayed home and took care of children while men hunted

Pre-Colonial America• The Norse Vikings discovered Newfoundland but later

abandoned due to conditions. Europeans stayed away for hundreds of years.

• Marco Polo found vast riches in China in 1295. When he returned with stories it spurred others to explorer

• Europeans set up settlements in Africa, where slaves were discovered to work on plantations

• Christopher Columbus wanted to find a quicker route to Asia

• Accidently in 1492, he “discovered” America for Europe

Pre-Colonial America

Myth

• Columbus Discovered America

• Columbus was first European in America

• The 1400’s world thought the world was flat

Truth

• Columbus voyage did forever change the world

• Vikings discovered Newfoundland in 1000 A.D.

• Columbus was looking for better trade routes

Columbus Initial Voyage• Funding came from Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen

Isabella• The journey was very complicated due to dangerous sea

routes. So Columbus sailed West and “Discovered” America

• He landed in San Salvador assuming he had landed in India

Effects of the Voyage• Named the New land America for Mapmaker Americo

Vespucci• The Columbian Exchange was set up as ideas went back

and forth between Natives and Europeans• The Natives taught the Europeans about Chocolate, Corn,

Tobacco, peanuts, etc. Also, taught them how to survive• The Europeans taught the Natives about domesticated

animals, wheels, axles, and disease

The Devastation of Native Americans• Europeans Violently took over the Native Americans in

search of Gold and Glory• Also Europeans brought over many new diseases killing

Natives

Early Explorers of America• Magellan- First to Sail Around the World in 1522• Balboa- First to Reach the Pacific Ocean 1513• Cortez- Conquered Mexico in 1519• Pizarro- Crushed the Incas in 1532 in Peru• Pounce de Leon- Explored Florida and found the

“Fountain of Youth”• De Soto- Spanish Conquistador. Discovered Mississippi.

Was brutal to Indians

Factors of Colonization• Renaissance- New Motivation, New Technology• National Rivalry- Intense Competition between Nations to

Colonize• Religion- Wanted to Flee Persecution, and also Spread

Christianity• Economic Opportunity- Many riches in new World• Politics- People were not pleased with politics of the

country

Comparing Colonization• Spanish- “God-spread Catholism to stop Protestants,

Glory for the Explorers, and Gold for the Monarchs”

- Area of Settlement St. Augustine• French- Gold in forms of furs, fish tobacco, Glory- Samuel

Champlain explored for France

- Area of Settlement was Canada and NW America• British- Gold in terms of furs, fish, tobacco, God- not

intentionally set up for Religion, but eventually ended up that

- Area of Settlement was Eastern United States

Roanoke

• Known as the “Lost Colony”• British first attempt to Colonize that Failed• All were killed by Natives or Disease

Jamestown• Virginia (VA and Plymouth Stock Company Combined)

Joint Stock Company- Investors that put money into colony in hope of quick return on their money

• May 24, 1607 100 English Settlers Found Jamestown (About 40 died on the Journey)

• Experienced Hardships due to not knowing how to farm the land, People wanting to make a quick buck, and not work hard, and also not having a true leader

• Also a bunch of English Mercants, men who were not used to hard work, just there for the Gold.

Tobacco• Became huge Cash Crop in Jamestown. • John Rolfe (married Pocahontas) perfected it and began to export it

• Powhatan Indians played a large role in colonists early survival• Provided food• Introduced colonists to forest• Cultivation of corn and yams• Clear timber

• Caused the need for New Colonist for labor

- Head Right System where every colonist was given 50 Acres of land in colonies if they would move

- Indentured Servants helped poorer British move to Jamestown to give them another chance. Master would pay for their journey in return for work for certain amount of time• John Smith took a leadership role in Jamestown. Told Colonist if they

didn’t work they didn’t eat

1st Government• House of Burgesses- Frist Representative assembly in

Jamestown• Model for Future Government.• Voted on directly by the people. Included a Governor and

elected council

1st Sign of Rebellion• Bacon’s Rebellion- a Virginia planter and wealthy

aristocrat rallied forces to fight Native Americans on the Virginia frontier. When the Governor condemned these actions on the Governor.

• They actually burned Jamestown to the ground• Bacon’s death ended the uprising but his uprising showed

the Government set up were ordinary citizens have a voice

• This also lead Virginia to turn away from indentured servants and use slaves.

Plymouth• England was in Religious uproar with Henry VIII breaking

away from the Catholic Church• Puritans- People who wanted to purify the Church• Separatists- Group of Puritan dissenters who started

separate churches

- 102 Separatists set up a colony in America due to persecution in England Boarded the Mayflower in 1620 known as Pilgrims• Mayflower Compact- agreed to form a simple gov’t where

majority ruled and to obey gov’t laws

Native Relations• Rough 1st winter, only 44 of 102 survived• The natives did help the Colonists grow corn• 1st Thanksgiving to say Thanks for bountiful Harvest.• Squanto

• Native American who spoke English• Assisted English colonists with:

• Interpreting• What to plant• How to cultivate• Where to fish

New England Colonies• Included Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire• Puritans fled for Religious reasons• Massachusetts Charter- 1629 got a royal charter to settle in New World• John Winthrop- leader who instituted strict puritan policies• “A City on a Hill”

• Colony was divinely inspired• John Winthrop served as governor

• Government- ran by the church, strict laws, Fear of Hell, Other Religions were not tolerated

• Anne Hutchinson was a strong willed woman who used her home, was banished to Rhode Island, Roger Williams was also banished and moved to Rhode Island in 1635, Rhode Island was founded in 1636

• Signed a Half-way Covenant which gave Children and Grandchildren of full members without a conversion experience membership in the church, they just didn’t have all voting rights of the Church. Was opposed by most Puritans because it didn’t have true conversion

New England Colonies• Connecticut (1639) Puritan Colony that was flooded with

Tourist• New Hampshire (1680) Puritan Colony• All of the New England Colonies relied heavily on

Shipbuilding, trade and fishing to make money• Farmed some, but were smaller• Very high emphasis on education in New England colony

to read the Bible.• Two Colleges were formed here being Harvard and Yale

King Phillips War• At first relations were good between Colonial Settlers and

Native Americans• A series of wars broke off over lands Native Americans

had occupied for generations• Finally a Native American leader “King Phillip” united

Native Americans against. • Did kill 2,000 settlers but was overall unsuccessful with

King Phillips Death and Colonists gaining more control of New England

Salem Witch Trials• In 1690’s group of young girls claimed to be bewitched by

certain older women. A witch hunt followed that led to the execution of 20 innocent women

• Causes:• Religious faith• Population growth• Role of women in Puritan society

Middle Colonies• Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, New Jersey• New Amsterdam- eventually would end up New York

attracted all types and races of people• Things did get bad with neighbors for which a wall was

erected in New Amsterdam, for which Wall Street is named

• IN 1664 the British Forces overthrew the Dutch and claimed New York

• Became a center for trade and business

Middle Colonies• New Jersey (1702) Was taken as part of New Netherlands

by the British from the Dutch• Delaware (1704) Seized as well by the British• Pennsyvania (1706) Established by Quaker William Penn

-Quakers- Officially known as the Religious Society of Friends. Believed in Non-Violence and Resistance

- Colony promoted equality of the sexes, and religious tolerance.

Southern Colonies• Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia• Virginia (1604) tobacco thrived here. Created greed for land

which depleted the soil• Maryland (1638) became a refuge for Persecuted English

Catholics• South Carolina- (1663) became a huge farming colony. Where

we see the first need for Slaves. Rice was huge cash crop here• North Carolina (1712) became a huge farming colony.• Georgia (1773) Founded by James Oglethorpe philanthropists.

Founded for 2 reasons

1) Buffer Zone

2) Debtors Colony

Colonial Politics • Most early political customs were replicas of British

System of Government• All colonies had to obtain a Charter

Proprietary Colony- a person was granted charters of ownership by the King (Maryland/ Pennsylvania/ Delaware)

Royal Colony- Direct Rule by Monarch

Corporate Colony- Run by Joint-Stock Company• Most Governments were made up of Assemblies where

representatives had power in the Colony.

Colonial Politics• Town meetings is where all the voters in the town would

congregate and go over issues.• Governors- Ruled colonies but had limited power• Voting- liberal qualifications if you were male• Saw many people participate in gov’t meetings• Were lower voter participation in rural areas• Problem was that many of the colonies worked on there

own,

Occupations of the Colonies• Farmers- Heaviest in the South• Fisherman- Heaviest in New England• Artisans- specialized workers• Merchants- Heavy in middle colonies• Printers- Benjamin Frankling

Two Types of Crops• Cash Crops- crop that is grown for sale• Staple Crop- crop that is in constant demand ( cotton,

wheat rice)

The Economics of the Colonies• New England- Based on trade, Fish, Lumber, Ships• Middle- Known as the Bread Colony due to high volume of

Bread Exported/ Relied Heavily on Trade on Hudson River

• Upper South Colonies- Tobacco (Exported 1.5 Million pounds in 1630’s/ problem was needed slaves to work

• Lower South Colonies- Dependent on exporting goods from plantations, Rice was staple crop

Slavery in the Colonies• More money being made allowed indentured servants to

no last long enough• So colonists turned to Slaves who would work for life• Triangular Slave Trade- Europeans would go to Africa to

pick up slaves, slaves would be transported to America, and then goods would be returned to Europe

• Middle Passage- Middle of trip from Africa to America. Very brutal for slaves were up to 20% died on the journey

Number of Slaves/ Treatment• By 1700’s 400,000 slaves were in the colonies (350,000

lived in the South)• Slaves were treated as inferior to others• Slaves did bring many customs to America• Slavery in GA/ SC was majority of population• VA/ MD- Tobacco was labor intensive so they relied on

Slaves• Middle and New England Colonies- Slavery focused on

Domestic issues

Individualism/ Social Mobility• Many Europeans came to North America because of its

Social Mobility or ability to change classes• Believed in Indiviualism or ability to work hard, aplly

themselves and achieve success• Perfect example is Benjamin Franklin

Ben Franklin• Was not born into upper class. Both parents worked hard

and wanted him to pursue a career in ministry put parents couldn’t afford it

• Became an apprentice at age of 10, ran away to Philadelphia, and eventually ended up in England

• He returned to Philadelphia and started own printing house

• Became rich as inventor, writer and scientist• Played a major role in struggle for independence.• Author of Poor Richard’s Almanac which helped define

American culture and separate it from Britian

The Great Awakening• A religious movement featuring preaching from guys like

Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield• Wanted people to go back to the reason they had came to

the colonies which was sincere Christian Commitment • First true Revival in America• Some feel it unified the country for the first time

Early British/ Colonial Policy• Britain ignored the colonies. Distance allowed the colonies to

become semi-autonomous. England was caught up in their Civil War and Reformation

• Mercantilism- Countries should export more out than they bring in

• Navigation Acts were passed against colonists which forbid them from trading with anyone but Britain (created tension) Also led to large smuggling.

• Salutary Neglect (Allowed Colonist to rule themselves) as long as they were exporting good, Britain didn’t care

• Also, saw a huge overcrowding in the colonies at this time as people began to live longer, and have more babies, which causes them to move West. This creates more tension with the Natives.